Supporting evidence-based policy-making

Context

South Africa is faced with weak economic growth in the midst of political and social challenges. The country’s Presidency coordinates government action and aligns overarching policy fields. However, the transition from policy-making based on opinion to policy-making based on evidence, i.e. scientific findings, is not happening fast enough. There is also a lack of data-driven political decision-making, which impedes the Presidency’s efforts to effectively implement necessary reforms. To improve on this situation, the Policy and Research Service has been re-established in the Presidency.

Objective

The South African Government increasingly utilises the evidence-based recommendations of the Policy and Research Service in the Presidency to implement the 2030 Agenda.

Approach

The project improves the coordination capabilities of the Policy and Research Service in the Presidency in order to facilitate evidence-based and effective policy implementation in government. To achieve this, it works with the government, scientific community and civil society.

Support is also provided to

• the SDGI Secretariat, based at the University of Pretoria. The Secretariat responds to political enquiries and the need for scientific findings by structuring and processing research results or providing references to relevant researchers.
• the South African SDG Hub at the University of Pretoria. The Hub provides SDG-relevant research from South African and selected non-South African universities to policy makers and categorises it according to the SDGs with the aim of establishing a link between the scientific community and the 2030 Agenda.
• the Policy Innovation Lab at Stellenbosch University. The Lab utilises data science and artificial intelligence to improve political decision-making in South Africa.
• the development of SDG architecture in South Africa and inclusive dialogue between governmental and non-governmental stakeholders on the implementation of the SDGs.

Last update: April 2024